WEBVTT JESSICA: DEMOCRATS ANDREPUBLICANS IN A SHOWDOWN OVERHEALTH CARE. WELCOME TO "MATTER OF FACT."JESSICA: HI, I'M JESSICA GOMEZ,IN FOR SOLEDAD O'BRIEN. THE BATTLE LINES ARE DRAWN. REPUBLICANS, VOWING TO REPEALAND REPLACE OBAMACARE, ARETAKING THEIR FIRST STEPSIN THE COMING WEEK, THE SENATEEXPECTED TO PASS A BUDGETRESOLUTION THAT COULD BEGIN THEDISMANTLING OF OBAMA'S SIGNATURELAW.THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY SAYSMOST AMERICANS WANT OBAMACARE TOGO.IN FACT, ACCORDING TO A RECENTPOLL, AMERICANS ARE DIVIDED. 29% SAID THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACTHAS HURT THEM AND THEIRFAMILIES. 18% SAY THE ACA HAS HELPED THE51% SAY IT HAS HAD NO IMPACT.AND DEMOCRATS, GEARING UP FOR ALONG AND POTENTIALLY NASTYFIGHT, SAY REPEALING THE PLANWILL CREATE CHAOS.SO, IF OBAMACARE IS REPEALED,WHAT WILL GO IN ITS PLACE?AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FORTHOSE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARECURRENTLY COVERED?SENATOR BILL CASSIDY, REPUBLICAN FROM LOUISIANA ANDA PHYSICIAN FOR THREE DECADES,JOINS US NOW TO TALK ABOUTWHAT'S NEXT.SENATOR CASSIDY, THANKS FORJOINING US. APPRECIATE IAS A PHYSICIAN FOR YEARS, YOUHAVE SPONSORED OWN REPLACEMENTHEALTHCARE LEGISLATIONWHAT IN YOUR AGAIN IS WORKINGWITH THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT ANDWHAT IS NOT?SENATOR CASSIDY: THE FACT THATPEOPLE WITH PREEXISTINGCONDITIONS DON'T LOSE INSURANCEIS A GOOD THING. THE FACT THAT KIDS STAY THEIR PARENTS' INSURANCE UNTILTHEY ARE 26 -- ORIGINALLY AREPUBLICAN PROPOSAL BY THE W-- IS A GOOD THING. ON THE OTHER HAND, COST ISEXPLODING. A FRIEND OF MINE AND HIS WIFE,60 AND 61, THEIR POLICY -- I PUTIT ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE.THEIR POLICY IS $39,000 A YEAREACH WITH $6000 DEDUCTIBLES.WHENEVER YOU HEAR OBAMACAREREFERRED TO AS THE AFFORDABLEACT, YOU WANT TO LAUGH.IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE.IT'S UNAFFORDABLE.JESSICA: PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMPSEEMS TO SUPPORT SOME OF THE ACA-- AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, AS YOUMENTIONED -- NOT DISCRIMINATINGAGAINST PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS,KEEPING YOUNG PEOPLE ON THEIRPARENTS' PLAN. WHAT DO YOU ENVISION?IF YOU HAD IT YOUR WAY, WHATWOULD STAY AND WHAT WOULD GO?SENATOR CASSIDY: FROM PERSPECTIVE, WASHINGTO D.C.,SHOULD GIVE TO STATES AND TOPATIENTS. THE PROPOSAL WE PUT FORWARDWOULD ALLOW STATE LEGISLATURESTO EITHER GO WITH THE REPUBLICANALTERNATIVE, AN ALTERNATIVEWHICH GIVES THE PATIENT THEPOWER, NOT A WASHINGTONBUREAUCRATBUT IF A STATE DECIDES TO STAYON OBAMACARE, THE STATE COULDDECIDE TO STAY ON OBAMACARE.SO IF CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORKWANT TO STAY ON OBAMACARE, THEYWOULD CONTROL IT FROM SACRAMENTOAND ALBANY. OR IF A STATE REALLY WANTSNOTHING, THE STATE COULDENTIRELY REPEAL OBAMACARE WITHINTHEIR BORDERS AND NOT REPLACE ITWITH ANYTHING. I THINK THE PERSON WHO GOVERNSCLOSEST, GOVERNS BEST.JESSICA: REPUBLICANS SAY THEYWANT TO MAKE THIS A SMOOTHTRANSITIONHOW IS THAT GOING TO BEPOSSIBLE? HOW DO YOU ENVISION THATHAPPENING? AND WILL PEOPLE WHO ARE INSUREDRIGHT NOW LOSE THEIR INSURANCE? SENATOR CASSIDY: THE FIRSTANSWER, WORKING BACKWARDS, NO,THE PEOPLE CURRENTLY INSUREDWILL KEEP THEIR INSURANCE.THE WOMAN WITH THE BREAST LUMP,IF SHE IS THE PRISM, SHE NEEDSTO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THROUHER MANAGEMENT, CHEMOTHERAPY,AND RECOVERY. THE PROPOSAL I PUT FORWARD, ANDSUSAN COLLINS IS A COSPONSOR, ASIMILAR PROPOSAL WITH PETESESSIONS, CONGRESSMAN SESSIONS,HAS INTRODUCED IN BOTH CHAMBER-- WE WOULD IN THIS YEAR PASSTHE REPEAL/REPLACE LEGISLATION. IN 2018, STATE LEGISLATURWOULD DECIDE BETWEEN OURALTERNATIVE.IN 2019, THE STATE IMPLEMENTS.AND BY 2020, THE NEW SYSTEM ISUP AND RUNNING.JESSICA: FOR AMERICANS, IT COMESDOWN TO COSTS, KEEPING PREMIUMSAND THOSE DEDUCTIBLES DOWN. SO HOW ARE REPUBLICANS GOING TOKEEP THOSE COSTS DOWN BUT ALPROVIDE GOOD HEALTH INSURANCE?SENATOR CASSIDY: A COUPLE OFWAYS. ONE THING THAT WILL HELP LOWERCOSTS, IN OUR BILL WE INCLUDEPRICE TRANSPARENCY.THE EXAMPLE GIVES YOU THESTATISTIC. A WOMAN I KNOW, AN OBGYN, WENTIN FOR A MAMMOGRAM AND SHE WASGOING TO PAY CASH.THEY SAID WE'LL BILL YOU. I'D RATHER PAY CASH.NO, WE'LL BILL YOU.WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT WILLCOST YOU, SO SHE SAYS FINE. TURNS OUT IF SHE HAD PAID CASH,IT WOULD HAVE BEEN $90 FOR HERMAMMOGRAM. HER INSURANCE WAS BILLED $500AND HER DEDUCTIBLE WAS $100.SHE ENDED UP PAYING MOREPERSONALLY AND THROUGH INSURANCETHAN IF THERE HAD BEEN NO PRICE-- THAT IF THERE HAD BEEN PRICETRANSPARENCY. ONE AREA IN WHICH PRICETRANSPARENCY HAS BEEN SEEN TOWORK IS LASIK SURGERY. LASIK,YOU CAN SEE BILLBOARDSADVERTISING WHAT THE PRICE IIN THE LAST 15 YEARS, IT HASGONE FROM $900 AN EYE, WITH MOREFOR ASTIGMATISM, TO $275 AN EYBECAUSE THAT IS CASH-BASED,PRICE TRANSPARENJESSICA: HOW DO YOU ENFORCETHAT?SENATOR CASSIDY: IN OURLEGISLATION UNDER THE REPUBLICANALTERNATIVE, EVERY ELIGIBLEAMERICAN WOULD GET ANADVANCEABLE, REFUNDABLE TAXCREDIT WHICH COULD ONLY BE USEDFOR HEALTHCARE AND WOULD STARTOFF AS A HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTWITH A CATASTROPHIC POLICY. THE RULE WOULD SAY THAT IF APROVIDER TREATS SOMEONE THAT HASTHESE TAXPAYER-FUNDED HEALTHSAVING ACCOUNTS, THEN THEPROVIDER MUST PUBLISH HER CASHPRICE.AND THAT WAY, THE MARKETRESPONDS. THAT APP HAS ALREADY BEENWRITTEN. NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS SUCH AN APP,SO I KNOW THE TECH IS OUT THERE.YOU COULD SCAN AND GO -- ANDKNOW THAT IS THE BEST PRICE. LET'S PUT MARKET FORCES INTO

Sen. Cassidy: We Must Give Power Back to the Patient

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Updated: 4:23 PM EST Jan 6, 2017

Republicans are set to fulfill the first part of their promise to dismantle Obamacare by defunding the legislation in a budget resolution in the coming week. Democrats are putting up a fight, saying if the GOP repeals the law without a replacement plan there will be chaos with up to 20 million no longer insured. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) says he has a replacement plan, one that he introduced in April 2016 that includes a Republican alternative. Cassidy, a physician of 30 years, joins Matter of Fact to discuss his vision of a working healthcare system, the role of state governments and controlling cost for the patient.